This year's National Teacher of the Year is wrapping up classes with her students and getting ready to embark on a yearlong tour to inspire fellow teachers around the country. Ashlie Crosson, an English teacher from Pennsylvania, joins us. Then, if you are feeling stressed about speaking in front of others, you can transform that pressure by playing with your voice. Performance coaches Michael Allison and Mathilde Shisko explain how vocal play exercises help build confidence. And, thousands of U.S. schools had their students race the clock to stack cups in gym class. Why? A former circus clown from Colorado holds the key. We hear from sport stacking royalty, Kit Fox.

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The year 1963 was a watershed moment for civil rights, with Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Medgar Evers leading the movement. But rollbacks of civil rights and racial justice ideals abound in 2025. Author Peniel Joseph unpacks the progress made in 1963 and the political climate in the U.S. now that is undoing some of that progress. And, the new horror movie "Sinners," where Michael B. Jordan plays twin brothers who return to their Mississippi hometown after years working for the Chicago Mafia. The film is making waves in the box office, and author and professor Tananarive Due explains how it challenges ideas around the Black horror genre.

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On Wednesday, two Israeli Embassy staff members were shot and killed following an event at a Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. Police say the suspect shouted "free Palestine" after being detained. We hear from Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, the organization that hosted the event that the victims were leaving when they were killed. Then, the Department of Justice is backing off plans to oversee policy changes at police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville. Louisville Public Media's Roberto Roldan joins us. And, the market for energy drinks is rapidly expanding with an emphasis on health and wellness. But that marketing may be misleading consumers about the health risks of energy drinks. STAT's Sarah Todd tells us more.

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This week, families of infants and toddlers rally in Washington, D.C., in favor of protecting Medicaid as the program faces potential cuts by President Trump and House Republicans. Two caregivers share their experiences: Jaid Greene, a mother from Colorado, and Felicia Harvelle, a grandmother from Virginia. And, Medicaid expert Adrianna McIntyre of Harvard University explains the impact of the program on mainly low-income families and people with disabilities. Then, kick off your summer reading with stories about family drama. Traci Thomas, host and creator of "The Stacks" podcast, shares her picks for fiction and nonfiction family-focused books.

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Israel says it will start allowing some aid to flow back into Gaza after a nearly three-month blockade. UNRWA's Juliette Touma joins us. Then, researchers have come up with a device to take the guesswork out of a common breastfeeding challenge: figuring out how much your baby is actually drinking in real time. Dr. Jennifer Wicks tells us more. And, "Crazy Rich Asians" author Kevin Kwan talks about his novel "Lies and Weddings." The book centers around the family of an English earl and a former Hong Kong supermodel whose fortunes appear to depend on their son marrying money.

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Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. We learn more about the disease and its treatments from Dr. William Dahut. Then, the FBI warned last week about what they call "an ongoing malicious text and voice messaging campaign" that uses artificial intelligence to impersonate U.S. government officials. Axios' Ina Fried joins us. And, a new study suggests chimps understand the specific medicinal properties of certain plants and will go out of their way to treat the maladies of their peers. Primatologist Elodie Freymann talks about these healthcare-related behaviors.

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New reporting from ProPublica finds the Trump administration is subtly changing the mission of a government agency tasked with helping migrants and protecting kids who cross the border alone. We hear from investigative reporter Lomi Kriel. Then, Author Anthony Horowitz is out with a new book that takes jabs at mystery novels, while still being a great mystery read. He talks about "Marble Hall Murders." And, Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe, who front the band Lucius, join us. They're currently on tour behind their new self-titled album, which came out May 2.

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The Supreme Court has been hearing arguments about President Trump's executive order trying to end birthright citizenship, which has been paused by numerous federal courts. Law professor and former U.S. attorney Kim Wehle joins us. Then, Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, explains why he thinks House leaders should cut more from the spending plan they are drawing up, and why it won't pass in the U.S. Senate if they don't. And, the Trump administration reduced tariffs against China from 145% to 30% over the weekend. The lowered rate elapses after 90 days. One board game designer is still suing the administration over its ability to levy these tariffs and argues that the trade chaos is hurting his industry. We hear from Jamey Stegmaier, president of Stonemaier Games.

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The U.S. and China have agreed to a 90-day pause on steep tariffs, though products from China will still be taxed at 30%. Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, shares what he's seeing as businesses navigate an uncertain trade climate. And, President Trump is in Qatar, the second stop on his trip in the Middle East. But Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy calls the trip a "public corruption tour," citing a number of personal business interests Trump has in the region. Then, as part of his trip, Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and announced the U.S. planned to lift sanctions on Syria. NPR international correspondent Aya Batrawy explains more about Trump's Middle East tour.

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The trial of Sean Combs, the media mogul known as Diddy, is underway. Claudia Rosenbaum, a freelance writer for Vulture who is covering the proceedings, joins us. Then, dozens of white South Africans landed outside of Washington on Monday after the Trump administration granted them refugee status. Journalist Kate Bartlett tells us why President Trump is welcoming them into the U.S. And, a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that fewer than half of Americans trust the government to respond to disease outbreaks, act independently, or ensure the safety of drugs and vaccines. For more on the state of public health, we speak to Dr. Katherine O'Brien, the director of the immunization, vaccines and biologicals department at the World Health Organization

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